Spotlight on: John Smedley

eritage goes a long way in the world of menswear and this is something positively synonymous with Derbyshire based knitwear brand, John Smedley, who will be showcasing alongside names like Tom Ford and Burberry at London Collections: Men.

This spring, the British brand will be celebrating 100 years of producing a rainbow of magnificent-hued knits, with its much anticipated, 'A Century of Colour' collection. Using yarn spun at Lea Mills, the oldest mill in the world still in constant production, each piece is one-of-a-kind and undergoes a laborious production process, being hand-dyed and hung in a specific position, all in the UK, to ensure the quality the luxury label is famed for.

Jess McGuire-Dudley, head of marketing at John Smedley, says: "I think men are intrinsically nervous about colour as they, for the most part, do not want to draw attention to themselves. Over the last five years there has been a shift towards formal wear with the resurgence of Savile Row, but as this has continued there has been a natural introduction of more modern colour palettes in core pieces like knitwear. More and more men are looking to use one coloured knit to add a statement without looking like they've tried too hard. "

John Smedley has also commissioned talented illustrator Richard Kilroy to create a series of exclusive images to celebrate its vibrant 'A Century of Colour' collection.

Toggle Caption

“Techniques in yarn dyeing have become much more modernised. The use of lab dyeing allows us to halt or enhance the colour, creating new or graduated colours as you can see in the collection,” explains McGuire-Dudley.

Toggle Caption

“We’ve been great fans of Richard Kilroy’s work for some time. With the anniversary collection bringing a more youthful and colourful offering, we thought it natural to get Richard to lend his creativity,” says McGuire-Dudley.

Toggle Caption

“A coloured knit under a casual suit or dark outfit to show a pop of colour works best,” advises McGuire-Dudley.

Toggle Caption

“All products contain the moth repellent ingredient cedar, alongside lavender, which combats piling. They take out the hassle and expense of dry cleaning and allow for the same quality of care at home," explains McGuire-Dudley.

Toggle Caption

Richard Kilroy is one of the UK's leading menswear illustrators having worked with everyone from Christian Dior to Canali.

Toggle Caption

The special dyeing technique can be seen most prominently in the soft tailoring pieces, with each garment individually dyed to create unique styles.

Toggle Caption

“Yarn dyeing began with humble beginnings, simply hand dyeing or barrel dyeing in the 18th Century. While these techniques are still successful today, we ourselves used the traditional barrel dyeing technique to create our Indigo range,” says McGuire-Dudl

Toggle Caption

“John Smedley uses the oldest mill in the world in constant production at Lea Mills and is one of the very few brands which maintains 100 per cent production in the UK,” enthuses McGuire-Dudley.

Toggle Caption

The John Smedley presentation is one of the highlights of London Collections: Men

Toggle Caption

“Caring for knitwear is essential,” says McGuire-Dudley. “We would recommend the John Smedley Wool Wash, which has been specifically formulated to maintain the natural lanolin and colour in the yarn and to help to prolong the garment’s lifespan.”

Toggle Caption

Richard Kilroy is a guest tutor at the Royal College of Art, London, and design tutor at Central Saint Martins, London. He also publishes Decoy Magazine, which is devoted to fashion illustration.

Toggle Caption

“Like in womenswear, men can use one coloured knit as a statement piece in their outfit to showcase their style,” says McGuire-Dudley.